Drying apparatus.



PATENTED AUG. 20, 1907.

A. 0. DUPUY. DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED DEO. 26, 1906.-

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PATBNTED AUG. 20, 1907.

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1H: NaRRzs s., wAsHlNcroN. Dy c4 ARTHUR O. DUPUY, OF EAST BRIDGEWATER,MASSACHUSETTS.

DRYING- APPARATUS.

Speeicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, v190'?.

Application iiled December 26, 1906. Serial No. 849,369.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR O. DUPUY, of East Bridgewater, in the countyof Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Drying Apparatus, of which the following is aspecication.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficientapparatus for drying bricks and other like articles, by the use ofheated air circulated through return fines which form shelves, on whichthe articles to be dried are supported.

The invention consists in the several improvements which I will nowproceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecificatioin-Iigure l represents a top plan View ol' a dryingapparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation ofthe same. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4represents a section on line 4% of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a sectionon line 5--5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 represents a section on line 6 6 of Fig.5. Fig. 7 represents a section on line 7-*7 of Fig. 4. Fig. 8 representsa side elevation showing parts of the apparatus. Fig. 9 represents anend elevation of the apparatus, and Fig. l0 represents a perspectivesectional view illustrative. of the circulation of air through theapparatus.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

In carrying out my invention I provide a series of substantiallyhorizontal shelves, each'composed of a return bend flue having stretchesa a, and a connecting or neck portion a2. The ends of the return flueenter two vertical headers c c, which are located side by side, the partc being hereinafter denominated` a flow header, and the part c a returnheader. Hot air is forced into the flow header through an inlet pipe d,and passes from the iiow header through the return fines to the returnheader, which is provided with an outlet pipe (V. The return Vlines arepreferably duplicated, there being two sets or tiers, as shown in thedrawings. The said return flues are preferably made of sheet metal, andare provided with flat top and bottom surfaces, which are relativelyclose together, the cross section of each stretch being relatively widehorizontally and relatively narrow vertically. The inner ends of thestretches of the return flues are supported by the headers c c. Theouter ends 0f said stretches are supported by standards e, locatedbetween the stretches, each standard having two sets ofoppositely-projecting brackets e to which the flue stretches a af areattached. The said brackets are preferably loosely connected with thestandard in such manner that each bracket is adapted to have a limitedsliding movement on the standard to compensate for expansion andcontraction of the ue stretches a a. To this end I have shown the innerends thereof.

ofthe brackets e provided with headed studs e2, which pass through slotse3 in iianges forming the opposite sides of the standard e. The slots e2may be horizontal, but are preferably somewhat inclined, as shown inFig. 4, and the studs are adapted to slide in said slots in thedirections required by the expansion and contraction of the fluestretches a af.

The inlet pipe d of the flow header is connected with the casing g of ablower, and conducts air from the blower casing to the flow header c.The outlet pipe d communicates with the blower casing through a passaged2 and a pipe (Z3, constituting continuations of the pipe d@ so that airis drawn from the return flue c/ to the blower casing. The passage d2passes through the bridge wall t of a furnace, and has an inlet d*communieating with the fire box i" of the furnace so that hot air andgases are drawn from the fire box into the passage d2, and pass fromthence to the blower casing, and from the latter to the flow headei` c,the hot air circulating through the return flues, as indicated by thearrows in several figures of the dra-wings. The inlet d may be providedwith an adjustable cover or valve d, The blower may be driven by a steamengine or motor m, supplied with steam from a boiler c, which mayreceive heat from the fire box 17, as indicated by arrows in Fig. 3.Another fire box i2 is shown in position to supply heat to the boiler c,in case the heat supplied by the fire box if is not suflicient. Steam isconducted from the boiler k to the engine through a supply pipe m. Thepipe d3 may be connected by a pipe d5 with a brick kiln, in such mannerthat the waste heat from the kiln will pass to the blower casing, and becaused to circulate through the return flues and headers.

The bricks or other articles o to be dried, may be placed upon palletsp, the latter being placed upon the return fines, and extending acrossthe stretches a a/ Heat is therefore conducted to the bricks through thewalls of the return flues, and through the pallets. Heat radiated fromthe surfaces of the return iiues which are not covered by the pallets,warms the air, and contributes to the drying operation.

It will be seen that the thin sheet metal walls of the return flues areadapted to be quickly heated, and to readily conduct heat so that theapparatus is effective for drying purposes.

In practice all the air that is forced into the headers and return finesby the blower is not returned through the pipe df, there being a certainloss due to leakage and friction of the air on the walls of the fluesand headers. Owing to this fact the blower makes a constant draft on thefire box tf, so that a continuous renewal of the heating medium isinsured.

I claim:

l. A drying apparatus comprising a tier of substantially horizontalreturn bend fines, constituting shelves; substantially vertical ow andreturn headers connected with the ends of said flues, and means forcirculating air through said headers and lines.

2. A drying apparatus comprising substantially horizontal return benddues, constituting shelves, flow and return headers supporting the innerends of said nues, and supports engaged with the outer portions of thefines.

A dryingapparatus comprisingsubstantially horizontal return bend l'lues,constituting shelves, tlow and return headers supporting the inner endsof said flues, a standard located between the outer portions of theuestretches, and brackets engaged with said standard and supportingtheouter portions of the nues, the said brackets being independentlymovable on the standard.

el. A drying apparatus comprising,l substantially horizontal return bendflues, constitutingshelves, flow and return headers supporting the innerends of said flues, a standard located between' tht` outer portions o1the flue` stretches, and provided with slotted flanges, and bracketshaving headed studs engaged with said tlanges, the studs being movablein the flange slots.

5. A drying apparatus comprising a tier of substantially horizontalreturn bend Ilues, constituting shelves, flow and return headersconnected with the ends of said lues, a furnace or nre box, anair-forcing apparatus, and connections between the said headers andtheair-forcing apparatus, said connections communicating with the fire box,so that hot air and products of combustion from the fire box may becaused by the air-forcing apparatus to circulate through the return bendtlues.

6. A drying apparatus comprising al tier of-substantially horizontalreturn bend fiues, lconstituting shelves, ow and return headersconnected with the ends of said-dues, a furnace or tire box, anair-forcing apparatus, and conduits connecting said headers with theair-forcing apparatus, one of said conduits having; an inletcommunicating with the fire box, and permitting the passage of hot airand products ot' combustion from the nre box to the return bend flues,

In testimony whereof I have aiixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

ARTHUR O. DUPUY.

Witnesses C. F. BROWN, E. BATCHELDER.

